Floor covering



30, 1932- J. B. CAMPBELL Re. 18,582

FLOOR COVERING Original Filed Dec. 10 1925 A TTORN E Y3 Reissued Aug.30, 1932 UNITED STAT'ESPATENT OFFICE .ronn B. CAMPBELL, or SALEM, NewJERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AssIeNMENrs, T0 oaa'rnaen MILLS,INCORPORATED, or cmomrmrr, care. A CORPORATION OF OHIO rLooa covnnmeOriginal No. 1,766,879, dated June 24-, 1930, Serial No. 74,476, filedDecember 10, 1925. Application. for reissue filed June 14, 1932. SerialNo. 617,284.

My present invention relates generally to a floor covering and moreparticularly to a floor covering which possesses the characteristicsboth of a carpet and also of a felt base product.

Before proceeding to describe my invention, I will premise that the feltbase generally used for the manufacture of floor covering such as oilcloth, is made from a pulped mass of appoximately rag content and of 50%paper content whichis rolled into sheets and then saturated with asaturant such as asphaltum, i'he excess saturant being pressed out inany preferred or desired manner. A saturated felt of this character hasthe following characteristics: (1) it has body, (2) it will tend toflatten out and cling to the floor and to remain so during use. (3) itis waterproof due to the character of the saturant used. (4) it is mothand insect proof, also due to the character of the saturant employed. Itis these characteristics of a saturated felt which give such felt basevalue as a floor covering, for which purpose the upper surface thereofis then given one or more ornamental wearing coats which converts thesaturated felt into the well-known oil cloth of commerce used for floorcovermg.

Such a floor covering lacks the characteristics of a carpet in that itis cold and unyielding and does not permit of a penetration of theornamentation very much beyond the surface so that such floor coveringwill show wear quickly because of the wearing away of the ornamental topwearing surface. In addition it does not possess very high wearingcharacteristics.

A carpet on the other hand is generally not only expen ive but also dueto its lack of body and its tendency to curl. objectionable in use.particularly in places where a cheaper type of floor covering isdesirable as in kitchens. bath rooms. hall ways. etc.

One of the important flbJQCi'S of my invention is such an association ofa felt base of the character hitherto used for oil cloth with a topsurface possessing all the characteristics of a carpet so that the floorcovering so lprofiiuced will possess the characteristics of The generalobjectof my invention is the provision of an inexpensive, attractive,and yieldable floor covering possessing all the advantages of both thecarpet type and the oil cloth type.

For the attainment of these objects and such other objects as mayhitherto appear or be pointed out, I have illustrated an embodiment ofmy invention in the drawing, wherein:

The figure of the drawing shows in vertical cross-section the detailconstruction of my new floor covering.

Upon viewing the drawing, it will be observed that at 10.1 show a thinsheet of saturated felt of commerce generally emnloyed for the purposeof making oil cloth floor covering and which is in sheet form and issheeted from a pulp made up of paper and rags. the felt base of commercefor this purpose being generally made up of appr0ximately 50% of paperand 50% of rag.

This sheeted felt base is then passed through a saturated bath.generally of asphaltumpto thoroughly impregnate the sheet therewith. theexcess saturant being forced out under pressure. Such a sheet as alreadystated. possesses certain advantageous characteristics. among which are.its cheanness. its body. its wearing characteristics taking intoconsideration its cost. its tendency to flatten out and cling to thefloor and also the action of the asphaltum saturant to render the floorcovering waterproof and also insectproof.

In accordance with my invention. I emplov a sheet 10 of this characterto form the lower part of my floor covering and associate therewith asthe upper part thereof. a sheet 11 which is preferably an unsaturatedfelt product in sheet form and made 100% rag fibre, and I fixedlyassociate this sheet of high-grade felt 11 with the saturated felt sheet10 as by employing a binder 12 therebetween which may also be asphaltum.

This I do by depositin this binder 12 directly upon the upper sur ace ofthe saturated felt sheet 10 and then positioning the upper felt sheet 11therewith under pressure. This I have found will produce a bond betweenthe two and which because of the peculiar characteristics inherent ineach will make the two, one integral structure.

It will be understood however that it may not be necessary to employ theadditional binder 12 because the state of saturation of the sheet 10 maybe such as to permit of a bond between the sheets 10 and 11 upon theirbeing pressed together as the excess of asphaltum that may be containedin the sheet 10 may be forced therefrom upon such pressure or may belocated on the upper surface thereof.

The top felt sheet 11 may be given the characteristic ornamentation of acarpet in a number of ways. Where a solid colored carpet is desired, thedye which is preferably an aniline one, is incorporated with the fibersor particles making up the sheet 11 either prior to or during theformation of such sheet or the aniline dye can be applied thereto byimpregnation or otherwise after the sheet 11 has been formed and beforeit is associated with thelower sheet 10, or where desired or foundadvantageous, the dye can be applied to the sheet 11 after it isassociated and bound to the lower sheet 10.

Where it is desired to apply a pattern design to the carpet I have foundit advisable to employ a process, such as the roll printing processparticularly adaptable for the use of the application of aniline dyesand to apply the aniline dyes after the sheet 11 has been formed andeither before or after its association of bonding to the sheet 10.

The lower surface of the saturated felt sheet 10 is coated in anypreferred or desired color so as to still further waterproof this lowersurface and at the same time give to this lower surface a protectingcoating. This may be done either during the process of manufacture ofthe sheet 10 or after its manufacture and before it is associated withthe sheet 11, or even after the sheets 10 and 11 are bound together toform the floor covering.

It will be understood that the floor covering above described can beemployed either in the form of. carpet rugs or runners and that thedetailed process of manufacture will necessarilyaccommodate itself. bothas to the size of the material and the character of ornamentation, tothe purposes for which the floor covering-is to be used.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The process of making a carpet floor covering which includes theassociation of superposed layers, one of which is a dry felt productcontaining rags as an element to an extent of more than 60%, and theother of which contains rags to an extent of less than 60%.

2. The herein described method of making a floor covering, whichincludes saturating a fibre base sheet with a viscous relatively heavybinding material to impart body to the base, squeezing out the excessbinding material to an extent which imparts only a remaining surfacestickiness to the base, and applying to the base for adhesion therewithby virtue of said stickiness a layer of unsaturated rag fibre material,whereby the base will impart to the finished covering weight andflexibility and whereby the unsaturated layer will impart thereto aresemblance to the exposed surface of woven carpet 3. The hereindescribed method of making a floor covering, which includes saturating afibre base comprising equal parts of paper and rag fibre with asphalt toimpart body to the base, and adhesively applying to the base anornamented unsaturated layer of material comprising pure rag fibre.

4. A carpet floor covering com rising adhesively associated layers ofrelatively heavy saturated unornamented fibrous material and relativelylight unsaturated ornamented fibrous material, the former comprisingequal parts of pa er and rag fibre saturated with :fiisgphalt, an thelatter comprising pure rag 5. A carpet floor covering comprising aweighted unwoven base, a layer of adhesive material thereover, and anunweighted felted rag fibre covering, associated thereover, whereby thelatter will resemble the exposed surface of woven carpet and the basewill impart weight and flexibility to the floor covering.

6. A carpet floor covering comprising superposed layers, the lower ofwhich is a saturated felt containing less than 60% of rag content andthe upper of which is an unsaturated felt made up substantially whollyof rag fibre.

7. A carpet floor covering comprising a weighted base and an unweighted,felted fiber covering associated therewith, whereby the latter willresemble the exposed surface of woven carpet and the base will impartweight and flexibility to the floor covering.

8. A carpet floor covering comprising a. weighted waterproofed baselayer and an unweighted, felted fiber layer associated thereover,whereby the latter will resemble the exposed surface of woven carpet andthe base will impart weight and flexibility to the floor covering.

9. A carpet floor covering comprising superposed layers, the lower ofwhich is a wate layer roofed flexible material and the upper ing afelted fibrous material he in intimate contact waterproofing material,-

5 upper layer will resembl with the lower layer by a whereby the said ethe exposed surface of woven carpet.

10. A carpet floor covering woven fibrous layer associate thereover, 10the expose base will comprising a therewith and 7 whereby the latterwill resemble d surface of woven carpet and the impart weight andflexibility to the floor covering.

JOHN B. CAMPBELL.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Reissue No. 18.582. August 50, 1932.

JOHN B. CAMPBELL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5,line 8, claim 10, for the word "woven" read weighted waterproofed baseand an unwoven; and that the said Letters Patent should be read withthis correction therein that the same may conform to the record of thecase in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 30th day of August, A. D. 1958.

Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

